Can you hear me now?

Today’s TED Tuesday Speech is by Julian Treasure, called 5 ways to listen better. Listening and considering the “listener” is key to effective public speech.

Treasure points out in his speech that we live in our own “sound bubble,” creating a individualized soundtrack to life which leaves us little room for the world around us. While ambient noise (the actual sounds in a space) accounts for some listening interference, for many of us, psychological noise is a much larger problem. We filter what we want to hear based on our own values and objectives. We are thinking about what we have to do next – taking us away from the here and now. We are preoccupied with what is going on in other spheres (facebook, texting) and ignoring the people right next to us.

As a speaker, we must create and deliver messages that penetrate these listening shields. For starters, create a message that is crafted in a way that is interesting to your audience. Be able to answer and address “Why” your audience should listen and “How” the message is important to them. Deliver your message in a way that positively reinforces your message. Use pauses wisely, giving your audience time to digest your message. Use variety in volume and cadence to make your speech auditorily more pleasing. Utilize repetition to guide your audience to the most important points. Finally, BE ORGANIZED to provide a roadmap to listeners so they are not thinking,”Where is this speaker going with this?”

Your audience is overwhelmed with messages and as a speaker, your job is to break through all of the noise that interferes with your intended message. Be sure to visit www.newcollege.asu.edu/call for more public speaking tips.